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2TG’s Free Movement Conference 2017 recognised in Recruiter Magazine

Date: October 13, 2017

Is the UK addicted to cheap labour?

The director general of the British Chambers of Commerce has rejected the notion that UK business is addicted to recruiting cheap labour.

Speaking at an event organised by civil and commercial barristers 2TG and law firm Constantine Law at London’s Inner Temple Hall last night, Dr Adam Marshall told an audience that even though the UK is experiencing low unemployment at the moment, the vast majority of UK businesses are committed to recruiting from local labour markets. The problem, he added, is that much media focus is drawn to the very small number of companies that appear to exclusively recruit workers from Eastern Europe.

“They’re not addicted to cheap labour. They are not addicted to short cuts in the labour market. They are all committed to using local labour markets.

“Are these businesses doing enough to train workers? The businesses that we’ve got are doing a huge amount to train workers… yet they need to top up apprenticeships, training and everything else they are doing – they still face unique skills gaps.”

Marshall added that investment in training takes time to bear fruit, providing the example of the training of an engineer which could take up to five years in some cases.

When asked by Recruiter whether agencies should get involved with providing additional services such as helping with the training of prospective candidates to alleviate skills shortages, and providing reassurance to European workers that UK business still wants and needs them following the UK’s vote to leave the EU, Marshall said: “It’s not a binary choice and recruiters should be doing both of those things.”